The Study
A Public Health Issue: Dietary Supplements Promoted for Brain Health and Cognitive Performance
This study is like checking what's really inside 12 different brain pills and comparing it to what's written on the label. It's NOT a test to see if the pills make you smarter - it's just checking if the ingredients match. The study found that most of the pills had ingredients missing or extra ingredients not listed. But it can't tell you if these pills actually help your brain or hurt it.
Analysis score
Maximum 100 for a systematic review.
Where the score came from
Researchers tested 12 popular brain-boosting supplements and found most contain ingredients not listed on the label.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 521 / 100
Quality score
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of cohort studies. They sit above a single cohort study but below a single randomized trial, because the underlying evidence is still observational.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes - hidden ingredients could cause unexpected side effects or interactions with medications; consumers may not know what they're actually taking
- 283% of brain health supplements had unlisted ingredients; average 3.3 hidden ingredients per product; 67% were missing listed ingredients
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
Year
2020
Authors
C. Crawford, Courtney Boyd, B. Avula, Yan-Hong Wang, I. Khan, P. Deuster
Related Content
Claims (2)
Researchers tested 12 brain health supplements and found that most of them had hidden ingredients not listed on the label - about 83% had at least one secret compound, averaging over 3 hidden ingredients per bottle.
Many workout supplements and black market drugs don't contain what the labels say - they might have harmful stuff mixed in or be labeled completely wrong.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.